New York State of Politics reports that the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is considering adding hundreds of toxic chemicals to a list of chemical hazards that could be found in toys. New York will also soon require that manufactures share which chemicals are in toys on the “UPC code." Bobbi Wilding, executive director of the Clean + Healthy advocacy group, said, “This will actually give parents the information that they need when they’re shopping.” There is a public comment period on the chemicals open until March 20. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Storm King arts center is arguing that the attendants are actually security guards and should not be in the same union negotiating unit as the office personnel, according to Visitors’ Services Attendant Marques Villaronga, a member of the organizing committee. Workers at Storm King, the large outdoor sculpture park in Orange County, are trying to join the Civil Service Employees Association. The efforts to unionize employees of the Storm King Art Center in Cornwall has been going on for over a year and both sides are now waiting on a decision from the National Labor Relations Board. The CSEA union says the art center has retained the law firm of Zelman, Rothermel, Jacobs, & Schess from New York City, and that the services listed on the firm’s website include “preventive and union avoidance measures” as well as “responding to union organizing campaigns.” Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Jammel Cutler at Columbia-Greene Media reports that the three Democrat candidates vying to win two seats as Columbia County judge this fall participated in a candidate forum on Feb. 16. Incumbent county judges Richard Koweek and Jonathan Nichols are both not seeking reelection, leaving two rare open seats. But before that Brian J. Herman, of Copake, Mark S. Portin, of Ghent, and Michael C. Howard, of Hudson compete in a primary election June 17 through June 27. Howard spoke of a specific experience in the courtroom. “I was the public defender assigned to Hudson City Court when the Hudson police first got the grant to buy tasers.... When it first happened, tasers were being used with a high degree of frequency and were usually applied to people that had the least ability to resist. I took two cases. I sued The Hudson Police Department and I sued individual officers in two separate cases where I thought they exceeded their rights and their authority to use them. I was able to depose those officers. I was able to get their handbooks and documents. I was able to figure out it was all about money and funding, and it was a toy for the police to utilize. Because of the suit, the number of taser uses went down dramatically and we rarely see tasers used in the City of Hudson now." Portin, Ghent’s town justice, said that judges are, "there for life-altering questions and life-altering situations having to do with some of the most serious and painstakingly intricate types of legal questions that come up and that people are affected by. I have a history and track record of understanding the impact on individuals who don’t have the ability to hire lawyers or don’t have the ability to afford counsel. In treating everyone fairly and equally.” Herman said, “A judge who is sensitive and treats people with dignity and integrity elevates the whole environment of the courtroom. On the other hand, judges who are short-tempered, arrogant and mean-spirited work against pursuing justice in a courtroom. I’ve seen judges that acted in inappropriate ways, which subjected people to injustice in the courtroom.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

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Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that there is now a special prosecutor assigned to investigate potential bribery and bribe-receiving in the case of Harold Handy, the man who was beaten by multiple people at a party at the home of a Columbia County sheriff's deputy's in Kinderhook in 2020. A jury trial was scheduled in November for the four charged in the beating, but on that day Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka told former presiding Judge Richard Koweek in a private conference in the judge's chambers that he would request a special prosecutor. Then Koweek adjourned the trial until a conference was held last week. Special prosecutor, Thomas A. Capezza, was named at that hearing in front of state Supreme Court Judge Thomas Marcelle, as Koweek recused himself for reasons for a reason yet to be publicly declared. A text message was revealed at the hearing, allegedly sent by Paul Freeman, a Hudson lawyer who was representing Handy to Jim Hacker, a Troy-based personal injury lawyer. In the text Freeman tells Hacker $250,000 is not enough for Handy to drop his civil case against the four defendants, but "$900K will resolve it." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nancy Kern reports for Columbia-Greene Media that two members of the Tannersville Village Board of Trustees said at the Feb. 13 village meeting that they are not actually residents of the municipality, which may violate state election law. Tannersville Mayor Lee McGunnigle has referred the matter to the state Attorney General’s Office. John Gallagher, 51, a Democrat, and Kim Thompson, 47, a Republican are the trustees who were elected last March, saying they lived in the village. At the meeting George Kelly, 60, said, “I found out by state law you must live in the village.... I questioned every single [trustee] where they lived.” McGunnigle said he did not know that Gallagher and Thompson were not residents of the village, and said, “I’m hopeful, optimistic that there will be a clear determination by our next board meeting as to the status of these two trustees.” But Thompson, one of the two trustees who does not live in Tannersville, said, “This is a political grandstanding by our mayor." Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said there were two overdoses on Feb. 17 in southern Albany County. Police are warning of a potentially deadly batch of drugs locally, with the overdoses in Medusa and Westerlo where both people were revived with CPR and Narcan. “Both patients claim they ingested pills that they were told were Hydrocodone and were purchased on the street,” Apple said. “Many street drugs, including counterfeit prescription pills such as hydrocodone, are being laced with the deadly opiate Fentanyl which can cause life threatening side effects.” Two overdoses on the same day don't prove there is a local bad batch, but there could be. Apple said, "Due to the close proximity of these overdoses, we are warning the public that there could be a deadly batch that may be being distributed throughout these small communities.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Marc Molinaro may now represent the 19th Congressional District, but he keeps getting involved in Dutchess County politics in the 18th Congressional District. Molinaro endorsed Chief Assistant District Attorney Matt Weishaupt for district attorney in the fall election as incumbent William Grady is not seeking reelection. Molinaro lives in Dutchess County, out of his Congressional District, and used to be Dutchess County Executive. Molinaro said of Weishaupt, that he “has always put the safety of our community, needs of his fellow prosecutors, well-being of law enforcement and lives of victims first.” Recently, Molinaro also endorsed Sue Serino to take over his old post as executive in Dutchess County. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Democrat Pat Ryan is representing the 18th Congressional District, Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko represents the 20th District, and Republican Elise Stefanik represents the 21st District. Click here to listen to this report.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Rep. Marc Molinaro has give the $1,000 campaign donation he got from Rep. George Santos to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group in Binghamton. Santos is under investigation and much criticism for an unusual amount of lies, even for a Congressperson. So far, local Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, has kept the money Santos have her campaign. Molinaro and Democrat Pat Ryan have called for Santos to resign. Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro was appointed chair of the House Small Business Committee’s Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development Subcommittee by House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas. The subcommittee works on growth for small businesses and the development of new technologies. Williams, in a press release, said that in his first weeks in Congress, Molinaro has “shown promise in his ability to be a leader on this committee” and expects Molinaro will “push forward pro-growth policies that will help our nation’s small businesses.” Molinaro said, “Small businesses have an outsized impact in Upstate New York and I look forward to working on commonsense policies that unleash the potential of local small businesses and create good-paying jobs." Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, though he lives in the 18th District. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Congressperson Pat Ryan, who represents the 18th Congressional District, has introduced his first bill, the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act. Ryan, himself a military veteran, said, “It is not an accident that it is focused on supporting veterans and military families.... Specifically, it gets at the issue of rising costs and rising healthcare costs that put so much pressure on families and military families.” Children of military families get to extend the eligibility for health insurance coverage to 26 years of age under the legislation. Ryan was first elected in August to represent the 19th District, and began representing the 18th District after winning the fall election in the 18th because of redistricting. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News.

Nick Reisman at New York State of Politics reports that former Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, now in Congress, on Feb. 15 formally endorsed former state Sen. Sue Serino to take his old job. Serino announced her campaign earlier this year. Molinaro held the post from 2012 until January, when he took over the 19th Congressional District seat. Molinaro said. "Sue will be a familiar face to County residents as someone who grew up here, represented Dutchess in the State Senate, served as a County Legislator, and operated a local business. Sue's track record of success as a public servant and business owner, and independent approach to solving problems will make her a perfect fit to be Duchess's next County Executive. Sue Serino cares. She listens. She leads. She has my full support." Serino lost last fall to Democrat state Sen. Michelle Hinchey in a redrawn Hudson Valley Senate district election between two incumbents. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics reports.

WXHC reports that new 19th Congressional District Representative Marc Molinaro has been hosting town hall meetings in the western part of his district. On Feb. 16 he held a short town hall in Cortland County, and another in Broome County. Molinaro said he plans to hold similar events in each county he represents. Molinaro said, “Being able to get together with residents so that I can hear you and you can hear me. Questions, answers, comments in a respectful way I think is so very very important.” Read more about this story at WXHC.

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Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Columbia Memorial Health is pulling out of its plan to bring a medical center to Catskill. Columbia Memorial in 2020 announced they would build a new medical center near Thruway Exit 21 where the Greene County IDA is trying to set up new businesses. “The Columbia Memorial Hospital option has expired and we are moving away from the idea of a medical facility there,” Greene County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director April Ernst told county legislators this week. But hospital officials have visited a 14-acre site in the Kalkberg Commerce Park along the border of New Baltimore and Coxsackie on State Route 9W. “We are still in talks,” Ernst said. “We are trying to keep them interested in doing some sort of medical facility still within the county.” This week Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $5 million grant for Columbia Memorial to construct a Greene County health center. According to the governor’s office, the funding would be for a 40,000 square foot facility “to provide essential ambulatory surgery, cancer treatment, and specialty physician care to Greene, Columbia, and northern Ulster counties.” Columbia Memorial's hospital is in Hudson. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Greene and Rensselaer counties recently passed tax breaks for first responders, and now state legislators are looking at more incentives to retain and recruit fire fighters and ambulance workers. “We must build on this victory and continue to make policy changes to ensure our essential EMS workers can earn a living wage and receive the training and support to serve communities across New York," a group of lawmakers said in a statement. "The final budget must include stronger language to ensure these heroes receive the acknowledgment and resources they need to do these jobs.” They are putting forth a bill that would allow EMS squads to be included in the New York State Health Insurance Program. Read the full story at New York State of Politics.

WXHC reports that new 19th Congressional District Representative Marc Molinaro has been hosting town hall meetings in the western part of his district. On Feb. 16 he held a short town hall in Cortland County, and another in Broome County. Molinaro said he plans to hold similar events in each county he represents. Molinaro said, “Being able to get together with residents so that I can hear you and you can hear me. Questions, answers, comments in a respectful way I think is so very very important.” Read more about this story at WXHC.

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Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that three of the state’s largest human services agencies, the Office of Mental Health, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, are facing a workforce shortage. This comes at a time when their services are in demand. Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal includes a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for those workers, to lure new employees and retain veterans. Kerri Neifeld, who heads the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, said that a 5.4 percent cost-of-living adjustment for state workers included in last year’s budget have helped recent retention rates to stabilize. But Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, an Orange County Democrat, said the proposed 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment this year is "absolutely an insult." She wants an 8.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment. State Sen. Samra Brouk, a Monroe County Democrat who has worked in the nonprofit sector, has a bill this legislative session that would tie cost-of-living adjustments to inflation automatically. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Noah Zweifel reports for the Altamont Enterprise that the Hilltowns Community Resource Center has moved a few doors away from its previous location at the Westerlo Reformed Church on Route 143. The business Hannay Reels donated the property to the Hilltown Community Resource Center. Hannay Reels’ Chief Operating Officer Elaine Gruener said that the company, “has long supported the mission” of the resource center, “as they do great things for people often located too far [from] other resources in the Capital District.” Jenn Hyde, the executive director of Catholic Charities, which oversees the resource center, said, “We have private space where a person could meet for things like SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] enrollment, or a private one-to-one meeting with a practitioner, or maybe … health insurance enrollment,” Read more about this story in the Altamont Enterprise.

News10 in Albany reports that the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam involving dump trucks and pick-up trucks with loads of stone. The Sheriff's Office says male subjects operating dump trucks and pick-up trucks park on the town or county roads and flag down residents, and try to off-load the stone, sometimes with the initial promise no cost. Sometimes they pull into residents’ driveways, and then first offer the stone for free before asking for some sort of payment. Homeowners are then given a very large bill which, police say, they sometimes feel pressured or obligated to pay. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says residents should report any incidents like this at (518) 828-3344. Read more about this story at the News10 website.

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